Get Your Moves Back

Joint and muscle pain, fatigue and shortness of breath are good reasons not to exercise...also the main reasons you must exercise. It may well be one of the most difficult challenges you have to face with Lyme disease, as well as the most important thing you can do to help your body recover. The very idea of exercise while in pain is not well received, but if you bravely push yourself into regular exercise, you will have less and less pain. It's getting past the first few sessions that takes courage and perseverance. I promise you that the first is the worst and that it will get easier with every session. (If you want my testimony to this, email me.)

Easing into daily exercise is best done with specific stretching exercises in the morning. Here's a simple plan that only takes fifteen minutes and is best done before you get dressed. Pajamas or sweats are ideal clothes to wear for this because they're loose and comfortable.

Start these exercises by doing as many as you can, but push yourself just a little each time to do one or two more until you can easily do the required repetitions.

1. Stand with feet flat on the floor and reach....really reach hard...for the ceiling; first with one arm, then the other. Five times each.

2. Extend your arms, shoulder height, out to the sides. Make big circles by slowly rotating your arms toward the back of your body. Ten times. Then make smaller circles, a little faster, in the same direction. Ten times.

3. Put your hands on your hips, keep your feet flat on the floor, and twist your body to the left ten times, then to the right ten times.

4. Lay with your back flat on the floor, knees bent and feet flat. Move your right bent leg as close to your chest as you can, then grasp it with you hands and gently pull it closer. Release it and return it to the former position. Do this with each leg ten times. 5. Next pull both knees to your chest and release. Do this for ten times.

6. Extend one leg and swing it toward your body then toward the floor. Do this ten times with each leg.

7. Still with your back flat on the floor, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, cross your arms over your chest and keeping your back straight, gently raise your upper body and hold it for a count of three. Do this ten times.

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